“The Fighter” may sound singular and the viewers tend to think that the title describes the protagonist, who is an aspiring boxer. Watch this movie and you will understand that the title fits the tag for all the four leading characters alike.

Mark Wahlberg, fits the role of a boxer. He however excels in the role of a brother who needs his elder brother. Micky Ward is definitely fighting for his career as a boxer, but deep down he is also fighting to retain his brother as his coach. This is because Micky wins a crucial and life-changing fight thanks to his brothers’ expert advise.

Amy Adams looks gorgeous in the 90’s look. Charlene Fleming once had a promising career in athletics but too much of drinking did not do her good. She spots the sparkle in Micky and persuades him to take the right path, even if it means to dump his current coach (Christian Bale) and manager (Melissa Leo). Charlene is so strong and determined that it shows in her eyes. She fights for Micky to make it big.

Melissa Leo performs excellently as the friendly yet dominant mother. Alice Ward loves her job as a manager and does not want to lose it away because of the new girl in the family (Charlene). Alice fights to win her sons’ love back.
Finally this movie is a feather in the cap for Christian Bale who’s take this role very seriously. The Dark-knight fame actor lost 25 kilos to look like a drug addict. His body language and the blurred speech add depth and realism to his role. Dicky Eklund fights to win back the confidence of Micky and Charlene but then he needs to transform. Well deserved Academy Award for “Best Supporting Actor”.

Hoyte van Hoytema excels behind the camera, remember the VCR display of the late 90’s?. This cinematographer has taken efforts to give a retro look to the boxing ring shots and it definitely pays off. This movie has some of the best shot boxing sequences.

David O. Russell’s grip on the drama is evident from the highly emotional “We gotta train, they (your family) gotta go “ scene in the boxing ring. The director brings out family emotions spectacularly.

The background score injects that adrenalin into your arteries and you just cannot stop yourself from pumping your fist as Micky
Ward wins the title match.